This invention relates to a new and useful teaching aid device for sports played with rackets. Specifically, the invention relates to teaching players of racket sports to maintain the head of the racket at an optimum angle when impacting a ball while playing a racket sport, as well as teaching the proper direction of the follow-through after the time of impacting the ball. The invention also stabilizes the head of the racket when impacting a ball. The invention is especially useful in teaching tennis.
It is well known that the successful enjoyment of and optimal playing characteristics of various types of racket sports such as tennis, racketball, paddleball and squash are dependent upon the proper stroking of the racket by the player so as to maintain proper control over the ball. Moreover, in games played with rackets, certain parameters are critical in order to achieve proper control in operation of the racket. In particular, the angle of the racket face at the time the racket impacts the ball and the proper direction of the follow-through of the stroke after the ball is impacted are extremely important. Typically, the best results are achieved when during impact with the ball, the racket face is at an angle which is perpendicular to the ground or the floor of the court on which the game is being played. Often, the poorly hit ball is a result of a racket being maintained at an undesirable angle at the time of impact. Similarly, a proper follow-through is essential to a consistent stroke and a proper ball control. Many players are unable to master these problems and beginners typically require considerable time to develop the proper control of the impact angle of the racket and the proper follow-through.
In many racket sports it is also desirable to maintain the shaft of the racket substantially parallel to the ground at the time of the impact with the ball or at a specific angle with respect to the ground. Again, many players are unable to maintain the proper angle between the shaft and the ground.
Since the various racket sports, and in particular the game of tennis, have become very popular sports and recreational pastimes, many technical articles and books have been written by professionals with regard to improvements in the game of tennis or in other racket sports. However, these articles and books are effective only to the extent that they teach the tennis player proper movement and control of a racket, in literary form. These literary articles suffer from the very substantial disadvantage that they do not physically aid the player once the player or trainee is actually physically engaged in a game or a training exercise.
For example, one of the problems involved in the training of a tennis player is that the tennis player may have read such literary articles and, in fact, may have been instructed by a trainer. However, the instructions obtained from these articles or the trainer are often of limited value when the trainee attempts to actually practice the techniques which are taught by the literary articles or instructors. The trainee in the game of tennis often experiences great difficulty in achieving the necessary stroking movement and maintaining the proper racket face angle which would aid in the ability to play the game of tennis by such trainee.
Some of these difficulties are due to the fact that many variables must simultaneously be considered by the player in order to effect a proper stroke. Among these variables are the angle of the racket face with respect to the ground, the angle of the shaft of the racket with respect to the ground, the direction of the follow-through, the speed of the stroke or swing of the racket, and the trajectory of the stroke. It is difficult for the new player to concentrate on so many different variables which must be executed in a successful stroke. This is especially true with respect to literary articles or to verbal instructions communicated from a teacher since in attempting to execute the proper stroke successfully the player must consider each of these variables at the same time.
The problem with the prior art verbal and written teaching aids stems from the fact that the player must consider these verbal or written instructions as to the proper form of the stroke and at the same time, physically implement the written or verbal instructions without any tangible assistance.
Attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with teaching tennis by providing tennis stroke training devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,693,973 (Wattenburg), discloses a device which is both strapped to the player's forearm and attached onto the grip portion of the tennis racket. The device is intended to assist players in keeping their wrists as rigid and straight as possible. See, e.g., column 1, lines 7-20 of the Wattenburg patent. This device is cumbersome to use and it does not address the essential problem of teaching how to hit the ball at a correct impact angle and with a proper follow-through.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,937,465 (Roland) discloses a training device which assists the trainee in stroking a tennis racket such that the head of the racket does not dip below the wrist of the trainee. The device includes a harness which is secured to the body of the trainee and a cord which extends from the harness to the racket. Again, this device is cumbersome to use and, as the Wattenburg patent, it does not address the essential problem of teaching how to hit the ball at a correct impact angle and with a proper follow-through.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,108,433 (Althoff), 4,142,721 (Faleck et al.), 4,200,285 (Petitti Jr.) disclose the use of weights on tennis and other rackets but, again, these devices do not address the problem of teaching how to hit the ball at a correct impact angle and with a proper follow-through. Specifically, the device disclosed in the Althoff patent is a warm-up device designed to add weight to the racket head in advance of actual play. See column 1, lines 5-25. The Faleck et al. patent discloses a weight and belt assembly which may be strapped on a tennis racket primarily to modify the balance of the racket but also as a training device. See column 1, lines 58-62 and column 2, lines 5-9. The use of the device for training is in keeping "the attention of the player focused on the plane of his swing and on the ball." See column 3, lines 52-56. The Petitti patent discloses an exercise and training device which includes two weights that can be attached to the rim on the head of a racket. See FIG. 1.
The present invention overcomes problems inherent in the prior art by providing a device which helps the player to focus on a single task of observing the direction of a pointer associated with the device. The weight of the device automatically physically assists the player to maintain the face of the racket at a proper angle at the time of the impact with the ball and stabilizes the racket at the time of the impact of the ball, as well as to maintain the proper direction of the follow-through. In addition, the device functions as a visual reinforcement which reminds the player to keep the racket face at a proper angle and to maintain the proper follow-through.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide a teaching aid device which assists a trainee in stroking a ball with a racket such that at impact the racket is at an optimum angle and the racket's follow-through is along the optimum path.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a teaching aid device which improves a player's strokes by allowing the player to concentrate on one visual spot--the direction of the pointer of the device. Yet another object of the invention is to automatically physically assist the player to maintain the racket in the desired position at impact and to maintain the proper direction of the follow-through.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a tennis teaching aid device which stabilizes the racket upon impact and therefore improves the effectiveness of off-center shots.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a teaching aid device for racket sports, which once secured to the racket, will not slip or fly off regardless of how hard one hits the ball with the racket.
Another object of the invention is to provide a device which may be used in conjunction with different weights so as to take into account the different physical limitations of various players.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a teaching aid device for racket sports which requires no alteration to and does not damage the racket.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a teaching aid device for racket sports which does not have to be worn on or attached to the player's body and which therefore does not restrict the player's movements and is not cumbersome to use.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a device which serves as a teaching aid for racket sports, which is useful with all styles and forms of rackets.
Other objects of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art upon studying this disclosure.